Officially named the ‘Republic of Korea’, the country is one of the four prosperous ‘Asian Tigers’, mainly due to its potent & technologically advanced export economy. But despite its successful immense entertainment industry, online gambling is severely restricted.
Locals mostly resort to offshore casinos & sportsbooks for their online wagers. Authorities enforce the legislation keenly, so crypto gambling is the best alternative for Korean gamblers, as it combines safety, efficiency and anonymity.
Blockchain networks can not be restricted by any national border. A crypto bankroll will give you access to a wide selection of international casinos & bookmakers. Such brands are known for their lucrative promotions page. Here on CryptoGambling.TV, you will find an up-to-date list of our hand-picked crypto gambling sites that offer some of the top bonuses & promotions. Dig in.
As you may have also seen in some scenes of the successful 2021 series ‘Squid game’, Koreans are passionate players. A gambling culture has always been widespread in the Korean peninsula.
However, in recent years, apart from a few notable exceptions such as horse racing, lottery and land-based betting shops controlled by the government, all forms of gambling activities are restricted. The ‘Habitual Overseas Gamber Law’ even prohibits Korean residents from wagering outside the country.
There are no online casinos and sportsbooks licensed locally whatsoever. The Korean gambling laws dictate that operators and players caught in illegal gambling activities can face monetary fines and even imprisonment.
Moreover, there is a precedent with national ISPs blocking certain domains of foreign operators and Korean banks rejecting payments to & from offshore gambling sites. There is not a separate framework for crypto gambling. It is as illegal as any other form of similar unregulated activity.
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Nevertheless, there is a slight difference between casino and betting products since there are a few, albeit second-rate, options for locals interested in sports betting. Let’s analyse the two categories
Korean crypto gambling facts
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Many Korean players opt for a VPN service as an added security measure. Sometimes it is a bit risky, though, as some operators do not appreciate the use of such tools. Crypto-only brands that let you keep a low profile are usually the optimal alternative.
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Several crypto gambling sites provide a Korean language option and a KRW in-game balance.
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According to the current South Korean gambling legislation, there is no distinction between websites and brick & mortar casinos or betting shops.
Best crypto casino in Korea
Our curated list below features a few brands that excel in the casino section. Under the-radar gambling, crypto-only offers, slots from the top providers and provably fair games are just some of what they can offer you. Check them out.
Casinos have been completely illegal in South Korea up to the late 1960s. Then a few hotels in some major cities were allowed to operate designated ‘casino rooms’ for foreigners only. Even today, the only physical establishment Koreans can wager at is Kangwon Land Casino, located in Eastern South Korea.
Despite these strict regulations, a crypto no KYC casino can help you gain access to regular casino action in a safe & anonymous way. You will have no reason to be jealous of other players that live in regions with a softer approach to gambling.
Legit Korean crypto sports betting sites
For most avid bettors, the available legal options for sports betting are certainly not enough. Crypto sports betting sites that are active in Korea provide full-fledged sportsbooks with thousands of markets every day, advanced betting features and lighting-fast withdrawals. It would be a pity to miss out.
Apart from betting on horses, cycling and boat races in designated locations, locals can legally bet on two different types of state-run products. Sports Toto, a pari-mutual betting system that divides winnings between the pool of winners, and Sports Proto, which provides regular sports markets, albeit with very low odds and few options.
Avoid any type of betting agents that act as an intermediary for sports betting. Not only they are unreliable themselves, but the government frequently seeks to disrupt such operations.
South Korea is home to one of the largest esports scenes worldwide. The majority of the Korean youth closely follows at least one of the professional leagues of games such as LoL, DOTA 2, Starcraft II, Valorant and PUBG. Crypto sports betting sites offer the best odds & markets for such events.
Much like gambling, cryptocurrencies are also tightly regulated in South Korea. The laws are stringent for centralized crypto exchanges, the main option for acquiring a crypto bankroll with South Korean Wons. The FSS (Financial Supervisory Service of South Korea) closely monitors all these entities.
In contrast to other countries, local exchanges on good terms with Korean banks are the safest option. Such companies are Bithumb, Upbit, Korbit and Coinone. Note that you must pass through a complete KYC procedure before joining any of them. Then follow the guide below to deposit to a crypto-friendly brand.
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Start an account at a crypto exchange. Fund it via debit card, bank transfer or any other local option. Acquire the cryptocurrency that you are going to use as a gambling bankroll.
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If you are not in a hurry, limit orders hold fewer fees than market orders. Sometimes, it is better to acquire the proprietary coin of the exchange first, as trading pairs with them cost less.
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Transfer the cryptocurrency amount to your private wallet. Never make direct transactions between crypto exchanges & crypto gambling sites. Crypto exchanges may freeze such accounts.
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Head over to the gambling site’s cashier section. Click on the relevant crypto method. The wallet’s address will appear. Copy the address and paste it into your wallet’s send function. QR code scans are commonly available too.
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If a brand does not support crypto-only wallets, watch out for the exchange rate. Any spread above 1% of the current market rate is too much.
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After a few seconds or minutes, your deposit will settle. This depends on the cryptocurrency and the number of block confirmations required by the operator.
The only way to acquire cryptocurrencies without passing through a KYC screening is via decentralized exchanges, but that would require you to already have crypto capital in a private wallet, which is not the case for everyone. Still, if you keep a low profile with any possible crypto gambling winnings, there will be no issue, even with tightly monitored exchanges. Let’s now expand a bit on the fiscal aspect.
After establishing some guidelines in 2018 for crypto transactions and exchanges, the South Korean government officially implemented them as a legal framework in September 2021. Crypto exchanges need to verify their customers via standard AML & KYC practices after connecting their accounts with established Korean banks under the same real name.
Since then, there have been several discussions about how crypto capital gains should be taxed. A proposed regulation included a 20% tax on profits above 2.5 million KRW, but its implementation was delayed for the fiscal year of 2023. Local crypto users protested against it, saying it unfairly targeted crypto investors, as it treated crypto capital differently than other assets.
Nevertheless, it seems that a new round of talks will be held before then, so nobody knows yet what the future Korean crypto regulation will hold. In most cases, the safest way is to stay off tightly regulated and monitored entities such as centralized exchanges and banks. The use of private wallets and decentralized platforms is recommended.
Stay under the radar
The Korean authorities are quite tech-savvy compared to other countries. There have been several cases where they fined companies or individuals that did not properly report their crypto holdings (held in centralized exchanges). So, locals need to be quite wary of their transactions.
We recommend you always keep your crypto gambling bankroll in private wallets. And if you want to withdraw cash, it would be wise to include the amounts you cash out in your tax returns since centralized crypto exchanges in Korea are tightly monitored. Nonetheless, it would be wise to focus your trading and gameplay on decentralized platforms and crypto gambling sites with low KYC requirements.
*Remember, this is meant to be a general overview of the current fiscal situation. Contact a tax professional for your financial inquiries, as errors may lead to significant losses & potential fines. We are not financial advisors.
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Why opt for a crypto casino or sportsbook in Korea
Why opt for a crypto casino or sportsbook in Korea
The online gambling laws in Korea is as strict as it gets, and it seems like the crypto regulation is heading that way too after 2023. The environment is becoming highly hostile to gamblers who like to keep a low profile. Luckily, cryptocurrencies are extremely hard to restrict. And offshore crypto gambling sites know precisely that. Trust our recommendations, as they will provide you with everything you are currently banned from safely and effectively.
FAQs
No, the same regulations as for land-based gambling activities apply. Currently, there is not any legal online gambling site in Korea. However, locals can access several offshore operators, with crypto-friendly ones being the safest and most anonymous.
Korean authorities do not recognize cryptocurrencies as valid currency or legal tender. Nevertheless, individuals must report any cryptocurrencies they own on their tax return form. Supposedly, a new regulatory framework is to take place in 2023.
As a Korean, it is illegal to partake in any gambling activity not regulated by the authorities. And there are no such websites online.
There is not just a specific one. There is a wide array of major coins & tokens that crypto-friendly operators accept. You need to find out which one of them suits you best.